Simply boiled crayfish with masses of fresh dill crown, the star of Finnish August crayfish parties enjoyed outdoors under paper lanterns with singing and schnapps.
Allergen Warning
Contains: shellfish
Equipment needed
stovetop, large pot
Bring water, salt, sugar, white pepper, and beer to a rolling boil in a very large pot.
Add half of the dill crowns to the boiling water and let infuse for a few minutes.
Quickly plunge the live crayfish into the boiling water headfirst and cover immediately.
Return to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes until the crayfish are bright red.
Remove from heat and add the remaining fresh dill crowns to the pot.
Let the crayfish cool completely in the cooking liquid, at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Arrange the cold crayfish on a large platter with the dill crowns piled on top.
Serve cold with toast, butter, and ice-cold Finnish schnapps as tradition demands.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate crayfish in their cooking liquid up to 3 days. Serve cold — they are never reheated. Do not freeze cooked crayfish. The cooking liquid can be frozen for soup stock.
Cultural Context
Finnish crayfish parties (rapujuhlat) in August are legendary social events complete with paper lanterns, bibs, silly hats, and drinking songs between each crayfish. The season opens on July 21st, and Finns mark it on their calendars months ahead.